


Under the Covers Vol. 2

by randifun43



Series: Under the Covers [2]
Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Based off the songs, F/M, Fluffy, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Recreational Drug Use, Under the Covers (album), but isn't really a song fic, danny's a bad boy but not, kinda follows the songs, set in the 90s mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-05-21 06:10:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14909831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randifun43/pseuds/randifun43
Summary: You and Danny take a trip across the country for the summer!A fluffy continuation,in order of the second Under the Covers album





	1. Africa

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading! Hopefully you like it just as much as I love writing it! Constructive criticism and helpful notes are always welcome!!

You two were just out of graduation when the two of you made a very sudden plan to take a trip to California for the summer. It was only for a month in July, but you decided you would make it count before the impending doom of going to college. Your boyfriend, Danny, arranged where you two would stay; with Arin and Suzy, two of your best friends from high school. 

Your parents obviously weren’t too thrilled about you going off with your boyfriend of 8 months. After their not-so-great first impression of him, they’d been a little weary of him since, but have gotten to know him a little better. When his parents gave the okay, yours let it slide too, saying that you were free to go off and do what you wanted as long as the two of you would be safe.

So, after a month and a half of planning, there you were, waiting outside on your front porch step at about 12:30 in the afternoon. It was sweltering hot outside, but you didn’t mind it too much. You’d be off soon enough. You were getting a little anxious though, hoping he was okay; hoping his car hadn’t broken down already; hoping he would show up at all. But you knew Danny would never stand you up like that. You knew it was just the nerves of going off for so long into the nation.

See, the two of you had decided that you were going to drive across country. It was going to save tons of money for the two of you, since neither of you were well to do in the financial world. It would give you more time together too, which is what you wanted. It was the thought of going into somewhere unknown that scared you most. You’d never left Jersey before, so the thought of going across country at such a young age (and in an old, worn car) and with only your boyfriend for company. It felt weird and uncertain. But that still didn’t stop the excitement. It just made your heart beat a little faster.

You were startled out of your thoughts when you heard a honk of a familiar horn. You looked and could see the man rushing down the street. Through the windshield of the old, beat up van, you could see the familiar head of fluffy hair that always accompanied the car, no doubt your sweet boyfriend, Danny. A bubble of excitement started to rise again in your chest as he honked the horn again, skillfully sliding the car into the driveway.

He smiled as he put the car in park, and you were immediately putty in his hands. You grabbed your suitcase and hoisted yourself up off the porch step. You threw your stuff into the backseat where all his stuff was already too, and ran up to the passenger side door, quickly getting in before you could have another thought about the whole ordeal. 

He was wearing his signature ripped-jeans and band t-shirt combo with a leather jacket on. It wasn’t out of the ordinary in the least, but it was still something that made your breath catch every time (though you never knew why he wore the leather jacket when it was the middle of summer). He would never outright admit it, but it was obvious he had a little bit of eyeliner on as well. You would never bring it up either, knowing he would stop wearing it if you brought too much attention to it. His hair was getting longer and shaggier too, but, like always, it suited him. You just loved the man with your entire being. It was hard not to notice every little thing each time you set eyes on him.

“Hey baby,” He breathed. As you slipped in, he was already leaning across the seat. 

He kissed you gently, bringing a hand up to grab the back of your head to keep you there. You smiled into the kiss, taking hold of his hair as well, running your fingers through the thick curls. Danny let go of you and resumed his laid back position in the driver’s seat. He smiled brightly.

“Hey,” you breathed back, the rush of excitement hitting you full force now, but then again, Danny always seemed to take the air right from you anyway. 

“Sorry I’m late, Mom was making sure I had everything and then wouldn’t let me go for the longest time,” He said with a small giggle, and then raised an eyebrow, “I also got us some of the good stuff if you catch my drift.”

You laughed and nodded, “I’m catching what you’re dropping here.”

He laughed again and put the car in reverse. He looked to you and asked with the same amount of excitement in his voice, “Are you ready?”

You nodded with vigor, “I couldn’t be readier if I tried, Leigh.”

He groaned at his real name and then chuckled a little, “I’m not taking you if you keep calling me that. I have enough money to go to Africa by plane instead.”

You smiled, but suddenly started to fake a pout, putting your hand on his, “You wouldn’t go to Africa without me, would you?”

“Bet your cute ass I would.” He said with another laugh, “Don’t test me.”  
You punched his shoulder playfully, the both of you erupting into giggles, “Let’s get on the road; I’m itching for the California sun.”

“Then let’s get out of here.” He said, giving you a wink.

He pulled out of the driveway and then the two of you were off. You let your heart rate settle and your body to relax into the seat. When he was on the highway, he let one of his hands off the steering wheel and let you hold it. He was aware that you were nervous for this big of a trip - you two had a long discussion about it the week prior - and told you he would do whatever he could to make it the most fun and comfortable experience you’d had in your teenage life.

“So,” You started, “What’s the plan, Stan? What states are we going to hit on the way down?”

“Well, for one, it’s Dan. And what I have on the map is Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and then finally California. With a couple of detours to Branson and the Grand Canyon. It will take quite a few days to get there, about a week with the times we’re stopping for sightseeing.”

“Damn… I hope I won’t get tired of you,” you said with a small laugh.

He rolled his eyes, but the smirk was still there, “I hope not either. And I’ll try not to get too tired of your sorry ass.”

You laughed and punched his arm again, soon going back to holding his hand. 

The two of you sat and listened to the drone of the road and the music that was quietly playing in the background when you suddenly remembered your camera. “Oh shit, I just remembered something!” you exclaimed, startling Danny.

He placed a hand over his heart and let out a deep breath of air, “Give a man a fucking heart attack, why don’t you?”

You laughed as you reached into your bag for your polaroid.

“My parents gave me a polaroid before the trip. I wanted to take pictures of everything so we have memories!”

You started to point the camera to him, but he held up a hand, “No, not of me.”

You lowered it and raised an eyebrow, “Why not?”

“Shouldn’t it be like of the scenery or something like that?” He asked.

You shrugged nonchalantly, “I will the farther we get, but we’re still in Jersey. I see this stuff everyday. I want pictures of the things we never had.”

“Makes no sense,” He giggled, “You see me everyday too.”

“Yeah, but you’re prettier than Jersey. Plus, I want to commemorate us leaving to start the adventure, you know? And then I can make a collection of the trip for college and get to tell everyone who sees it, ‘look, that’s my pretty boyfriend. We went on a cross-country trip.’”

He smiled and shook his head, “You’re such a fuckin’ dork.”

“Just shut up and smile.”

Danny groaned a little, but smiled when you pointed the camera toward him. He kept his eyes on the road, thankfully, but he still looked just as breathtaking from the side as he did when he was smiling toward the camera. You looked through the viewfinder and took the picture. You smiled brightly as it printed off immediately. You took it and waved it for the development; you read that that probably doesn’t help the picture, but you couldn’t be bothered, wanting to look at the picture already. 

When it finally formed you smiled at it. It didn’t look forced like it kind of was and you were proud of that. It just looked like Danny, “You’re a very beautiful man, Dan.”

“You’re still a fuckin’ dork.” 

You laughed and put the picture along with the camera back into your bag, opting to wait to take more until you got to Ohio. 

“Okay! Now we’re officially on a road trip!”

Danny laughed and shook his head. He rolled down the windows like he normally did and turned up the music that was already playing from the radio. He grabbed your hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze. When you looked at him, his hair was whipping around his face and he was mouthing along to the song, but he was smiling all the while. You realized as you were driving down the highway that you were two New Jersians off to California. The two of you about to have a new adventure; a new journey to gain some wisdom and get a little older. You squeezed his hand right back and mouthed along to the words of the song.


	2. More Than a Feeling

The two of you made it through Pennsylvania into Ohio the same day that you left. You were able to stop a couple of times along the way for snacks and bathroom breaks until you passed by a cheap motel. You two decided that it was the best choice for the night and pulled in. They gave you a room to stay in and Danny subtly winked at you when the concierge explained to you that it was one queen bed.

After everything was moved in, the both of you collapsed onto the bed. Danny fell onto his stomach with a loud groan and you laughed, getting up to straddle his lower back and massage him. He’d been driving all day, so you figured he needed something in return.

“Thank you, baby.” He mumbled with his face buried deep into the pillow.

You smiled, “Of course. I can drive in the morning if you want.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed,” He said with another sigh, “Hell, you can drive the rest of the way if you want.”

You laughed, “How about no.”

Danny let out a small laugh before a comfortable silence fell between you. You gave him the massage for a good five minutes before you got off and laid down beside him. He pulled you into his chest and turned off the light, not even beginning to bother about getting out of your clothes. 

“I’m glad we’re doing this,” He said quietly.

“I am too, Danny,” You replied, smushed against his chest.

He kissed the top of your head, “How did I get so lucky to have someone to go across the country with me?”

Your smile widened, “The same way I got so lucky. But, Dan, we can’t be too sappy this entire trip.”  
His chest rumbled, letting out a laugh, “Like hell we can. When we get to Arin and Suzy’s, they’re gonna wonder why we’re covered in sticky sap.”

“You’re cute.”

“You’re cuter.”

You laughed and snuggled closer into his side, and soon with his soft breaths and the light noise of traffic outside, you were drifting off to sleep within minutes.

In the morning, you woke up to the rays of sunlight shining in through the cheap motel’s blinds. It was almost like they weren’t there at all. You felt a little groggy and disoriented, but you still felt safe. Danny’s arm was around your waist, holding you against him firmly, but with enough slack that you could turn over and face him.

He was sleeping soundly, not yet having been woken up by the harsh lighting. Your heart was melting while looking at his relaxed features. You moved some of his monstrous hair out of the way and smiled to yourself, knowing you could stay there the entire day if you didn’t at least try to get going. It was your day to drive anyway.

You moved more strands of hair away from his face and leaned forward to blow air beside his ear, seeing if he would wake up from the sound or feeling. There was nothing. Soft snores continued to erupt from him. You giggled to yourself and tried his neck, kissing the crook of it firmly, even going so far as to nip it slightly. Again, nothing but snores and maybe a little bit of drool. Part of you would’ve thought to check his pulse if he hadn’t been consistent breathing. Lastly, you placed your lips on his barely, giving a stupidly sweet kiss, carding your hand through his hair again.

Once you pulled away, his eyes were open finally, and he was smirking a little. His hand traveled to your waist and pulled you in closer, capturing you in another kiss before you were even able to say anything. You thought to yourself just how familiar this was to you, even after only nine months of dating. His touch; his hands; his lips; his everything was familiar to you and it still felt impossible to get enough of him.

As familiar as Danny was to you, the light was starting to get brighter and higher in the sky. The day, unfortunately in order for this trip to work, had to start. Just to tease him, you pulled away and went to your luggage, pulling out new clothes for the day.

“Hey!” He whined, slightly breathless and his voice still laced with sleep.  
“Sorry, Danny,” You said with a short laugh, “We have to get going pretty soon if we want to hit our next destination in time.”

“You’re such a tease.” He groaned, just as you had expected.

You laughed, slipping into the bathroom. Once clean and changed, you went back out to Danny who was sitting up in the bed at least, messing with the shitty little TV, waiting for you to get out so he could get ready too. He wasn’t watching anything in particular, just flipping through the channels and lingering on the music channel. After watching him for a little bit, you made yourself emerged from your spot.

“Did you get rid of your problem, baby?” you asked, a teasing smirk forming on your lips.

He chuckled as he was grabbing his things out of his luggage, “No thanks to you.”

Once he was fresh and clean as well, you packed your stuff into the van again and were on your way, blasting the radio to get your day started. You were driving today like you said so Danny could relax. And in the passenger seat with the music blaring and his head pressed against the headrest in a lazy fashion, he sure did look relaxed.

"What's the song, Danny?" you asked with a smile.

"An old one." He teased. You laughed and rolled your eyes. 

“You know,” He started, still bobbing his head to the music, “I still say we could’ve showered together. You know, get clean, save a little time...”

“Have sex in the shower,” You finished in your best mock Danny voice. To think he was going to continue talking about the music. “We could’ve, Danny, but you and I both know that we would’ve been stuck there for hours. When we get to the next city, I’ll make it up to you.”

He chuckled, “If that’s the case, then drive faster, baby.”

You laughed and shook your head, continuing to drive the same speed, “I’m doing you a favor, Danny, don’t push it.”

“Fair,” He said with another laugh, “Thanks for driving, by the way.”

“Of course,” You smiled, “Can’t have you passing out from exhaustion on me, now can we? It’s a long day ahead, though, so you better be entertaining.” You joked.

“No, I won’t let you slip away, baby,” He murmured, closing his eyes and letting the day go by. You rolled your eyes and laughed, letting your hand drift off the wheel and into his, lacing your fingers together.

You drove on contently.


	3. Limelight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Danny stop in Branson, Missouri

The two of you made it to Branson, Missouri by the end of the second night. Again, you two collapsed straight on to the cheap motel bed, but, this time, you didn’t have to get up early or get moving straight away. Branson was a touristy city, so the both of you decided you would do some touristy things.

Neither of you knew what you were doing when you made it into the heart of the city. There were lots of things, all gaudy and flashy and just begging for the attention of people like two unsuspecting teenagers who have never been. In fact, it was sort of overwhelming, but you knew that you two would start off easy. 

You opted to just goofing off in stores for the first half of the day, seeing what there was that you could possibly get as souvenirs for your friends. You got a lot of pictures of everything as well as a lot of pictures of you and Danny together, despite his protests.

At night, Danny suggested the both of you go see a show, no matter how bad it was, because that was “The Branson Experience” according to him. You laughed at his enthusiasm as you bought tickets to a dinner showboat.

That night was a cabaret-style dinner and show. You nearly busted a gut laughing at how Danny was trying to not stare at the girls in the cabaret “risqué” outfits as they served you dinner. His eyes would flicker up, catch the sight of the girls, and then look back down to the table. His cheeks started to turn shades of pink and red.

“You don’t have to look away, Danny, they’re beautiful girls. I wouldn’t get jealous over this,” You said with a small teasing smile, “And after I teased you yesterday morning, this might help.”

He bit his lip and shook his head, “Nope, I’m afraid if I stare too long, I might start thinking of you in a stupidly cute outfit. So, my attention is staying on you, baby. You’re the only thing that should be in my sight; you’re my limelight.” It was your turn for your cheeks to get hot; you couldn’t help the blush that spread across your cheeks as he kept staring at you. “Besides, I don’t mind you teasing me.”

Eventually, he let up his stare on you and snuck a peek at the girls parading around. He looked at the girl just beside the table in particular; black short-shorts and crop-top that showed off her entire middle, along with black knee-high stockings and garter belts.

Although his cheeks were still burning red, Danny glanced back to you and smirked, “Would you wear that?”

“The cabaret outfits?” You asked, furrowing your eyebrows, “I wouldn’t wear it like these girls, out in front of everyone, but I don’t see why I wouldn’t wear it.”

“Specifically... the garter belts and stockings.” He challenged, his voice sounding dark and husky like it did when he was getting riled up. You could’ve rolled your eyes if the thought didn’t intrigue you.

The blush returned to your cheeks as you thought about it for a little while. After a few moments, you smiled, a sly smile “Anything for you, babe.”

“Anything, huh?” He asked suggestively. 

Before he could say anything else, the waitress came back with your dinner as the show was beginning. Throughout the entire show, Danny would steal glances back at you and you would do the same for him. Occasionally, you would lock eyes and give small, flirty smiles to each other.

As weird as it sounded, you liked when his attention went to the stage. He loved to perform and always got so enamored with being on stage and singing. No matter what was on the stage, and no matter what other thoughts he was thinking, he would always get a small, dreamy smile on his face. And that was the most alluring thing about him. It always made you happy to see him up there in his own limelight, because he was yours as well.

As the show ended and the boat docked back on shore, you got off and started heading, slowly, back to your hotel room. 

“So,” He started when the two of you were a little less than a block away from the hotel, “There was a time earlier today that I might’ve, like, bought you some clothes… I didn’t know the showboat was gonna be cabaret style. It made me start thinking of you.” 

You chuckled, “That’s why you were so blushy tonight?” He laughed and nodded shyly, “So what kind of clothes did you get me, specifically.” 

“Well, they’re not exactly clothes. Most of it, you won’t be wearing for too long anyway… they’re sort of like the cabaret girl’s clothes, but… not quite. They have garter belts and stockings in common. It was difficult to not stare and think of you.”

That made you laugh again, taking his hand, “Well, then we’ll have to put them to good use, then, won’t we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this one is sort of short. I just thought it was a cute little thing. 
> 
> Also, "Danny Don't You Know" made me cry my eyes out and caused me to, as my friend aptly said, blackout for four hours... at least.


	4. Pour Some Sugar On Me

Somewhere in the panhandle of Texas, the two of you stopped for some snacks and to rest up a bit to give the old, tired van some rest. You were tired as well from traveling all day, especially after your night in Branson. You were pretty ahead of schedule anyway, so it wasn’t going to hurt to stop for a while.

You bought some extremely sugary drinks, thanks to the “slurpee” machine at the rundown gas station in a weird, ghost town somewhere toward the border of Texas and Oklahoma. You also got some sub-par sandwiches, as well as a whole lot of candy for when you started to get tired. 

It was already late in the evening and you weren’t that close to where you’d planned to rest for the night when both of you started fearing falling asleep at the wheel. So, when Danny saw the abandoned drive-in theatre, the two of you decided it would be best to give it a rest for an hour or two; eat some candy and maybe take a nap if you needed to. You and Danny sat in the car, eating your incredibly-not-so-healthy dinner, the windows rolled down to let in the cool winds of night in without running the car down.

“What if we don’t stay in a hotel tonight?” Danny asked after a while of just listening to music, “I know we said we would wait until California on the drug usage, but we have a few joints pre-rolled; we could get high and just… sleep in the car tonight. It would save us some money too.”

You smirked, “You want to?”

“Yeah,” He breathed, “I want to.”

You nodded and soon finished your dinner. You moved yourselves to the back of the van and laid down the seats, setting up the back with the few pillows and blankets that you had (and also might’ve stolen from one of the hotels). You made yourself comfortable as Danny grabbed a joint from his secret stash in the back of the glovebox and brought it back to you.

He lit it up and soon enough, you were high as a kite. Neither of you could help the giggles and the cravings that began about an hour in. You thanked God that both of you grabbed an ungodly amount of sweets for the munchies that you were experiencing.

Before you knew it, Danny’s lips were on yours and he was straddling you. You took hold of his hair in both of your hands as his hands traced down your waist. He began pulling your shirt, silently telling you to take it off. You had to separate to get both of your shirts off, but once they were off, he went right back to it. You didn’t remember either of your other clothes being shed, thanks to the weed, but they were lost in the car somewhere to be found probably in the morning. 

He was always careful about kissing across your body, no matter how rough you were taking it. He was giggling that night because of the high, pulling laughter out of you as well. He tasted like candy and just sugar. You started to giggle more and soon couldn’t stop. Once Danny started to laugh, you knew the pot was really starting to sink in. Both of you were laughing so much that you had to stop everything for a while, trying to recollect yourselves from your sudden giggle-fit.

Danny laced one of your hands with his and buried his face in the nape of your neck. He kissed along your neck sickeningly sweet, like saccharine, leaving a hickey wherever he chose. You pulled a little on his hair, eliciting a growl from him, deep in his throat. He looked to you with dark, lustful eyes; he always did after you pulled his hair. He pressed his lips down on yours hungrily, forcing your mouth open to mold with his.

Eventually, you pulled him back down by the hair for a kiss, wanting to continue what you started as those lustful feelings started to slowly creep back in once again. Danny obliged, resuming his movements. You nearly started giggling again at the taste of candy, but that was overridden as you let yourselves go not long after you started again.

In the afterglow, you didn’t bother to put your clothes back on or even attempt to move from your position, just basking in the high of the joint and the sex, and covering up with each other in your arms, giggling until you fell asleep.

You weren’t asleep for long it felt like when there was a knock on the window and a bright light shining through.

You were awake and immediately covering up faster than it took for Danny to even open his eyes. You shook Danny awake, noticing the blue suit that the stranger wore. You hoped to god that either of you stashed away the rest of the weed before either of you got too high. 

“Oh shit,” Danny said when he realized what was going on. 

He covered himself as he began searching for his boxers and a shirt to slip on. Thankfully, the police officer was nice enough to stop shining the light in order for you two to get dressed, or close enough to it.

“Babe,” He stage whispered from the middle of the van, “Do I look high?”

You took a peek at his face and didn’t see any red eyes. He had messy hair and at most he would just look tired in the dark of night. The smell, however, would completely give it away. So, you just shook your head at Danny’s question and hoped for the best.

You stayed in the van’s passenger seat, staring straight and listening to the muffled sounds of Danny and the officer talking. It sounded like a fairly calm conversation, which wasn’t surprising with Dan’s sweet charismatic charm. You vaguely wondered if Dan had been in this situation before.

After a long ten or so minutes, Danny finally got back in the van with a slip of paper in his hand. A smirk was on his face as he started the car up. 

“He was pretty nice,” Dan said, “Definitely knew what we were doing and gave me a ticket for being on loitering on private property.”

“Yeah… That’s nice.” You said, “How much is the ticket?”

“About the price of a hotel room,” He said with a small laugh, “So, we didn’t end up saving any money at all.”

You laughed bitterly, “That sounds about right.”

“Looks like we’re driving to New Mexico even earlier than planned,” He said, “I guess we’re just lucky we didn’t end up being abducted by aliens.” 

Danny started driving down the road, back on the normal trip route. It was silent for a while, not even the regular music playing to fill the air. It was silent, that was until you started giggling. The whole situation in itself was just so weird, you couldn’t help but let yourself laugh.

Danny looked confused for a few moments before he slowly surrendered to laughter as well. Enough so, that he had to pull over on the side of the road. You leaned against each other as you just let the tiredness, the high, the confusion and the laughter overtake you. 

“I can’t believe that just happened,” He said, shaking his head when he had calmed down a little, giggles still erupting from him. “Like, dude, I’m covered in fucking candy, I’m high, and I’m basically naked. What the fuck are we doing?”

You laughed again, ruffling his hair and taking a moment to take a look at his features again, calming down, “I don’t know… but I’m glad we’re doing it.”

“You’re too fucking cute.”

“Can I take a picture of you holding up the ticket?”

“You’re ruining me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I once also got a ticket in the panhandle of Texas. Definitely not a fun time.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy :D


	5. Something About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe it was something in the New Mexican heat, or maybe it was in the way the van was breaking down. Either way, you and Dan are having a fight.

While driving through New Mexico, you both came to the conclusion that it was extremely hot during the summer. So much more hot than that of New Jersey. It was mostly desert and cactus with some mountains framing the background. There weren’t that many stops along the way, sometimes the next stops were miles apart. 

Dan made the decision to keep going through the state, saying that it would be better to make it through the desert before you stopped anywhere. According to the map, the two of you weren’t far from the next city, but still had about 50 miles to go on a road that was almost completely deserted. That is why when Danny’s van started to jerk and slow down, you started to worry.

“Shit,” Dan whispered, putting the van in another drive, trying to make it go. He hit the gas a few times, jerking the car forward before it would stop again. The van made it another few hundred feet before the car started to slow again and gradually came to a complete stop. When you were safely on the side of the road, it got extremely quiet, and also very hot.

“Danny?” You asked, a little in shock. Your boyfriend had never been this quiet before.

Suddenly, he hit the steering wheel hard and let out a scream of distress.

“Shit!” He yelled, getting out of the car. He made a beeline to the hood, popping it open and started tinkering with whatever was in there.

You got out of the car with him and went around to the front, staying silent as he messed around with the mechanics. He was grumbling to himself the entire time. You quickly notice that it was burning, dry heat in the New Mexico sun. You gently pulled Dan’s hair back into a bun to keep him from sweating much. He flinched at the first touch, but otherwise his attention was fully on the car.

“It’s the battery,” He said after a few minutes, “Everything else is fine, but the Battery is probably having trouble with the heat. Hell, it could’ve overheated, I don’t fucking know. Point is, we’re stuck here until someone who can help us drives by.”

“Well, if that’s all we can do, then we can sit in the van with the doors open and flag down the people that pass by.”

Danny went quiet again. After a minute or two, he slammed the hood down and kicked the bumper, letting out a few more expletives.

“Danny, calm down.” You said, trying to get him to stop exerting energy in the heat.

“Do you see where the fuck we are?” He snapped, turning to you, “We’re out in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere, miles away from any fucking place of help. Don’t fucking tell me to calm down.”

“Don’t fucking yell at me,” you snapped back, “It’s not my fault the fucking battery is a piece of shit. Couldn’t you have brought a spare or something?”

“Who carries around a spare fucking battery? If you want chemicals spilling around the car, sure. People don’t just carry spare car batteries.”

“I don’t know, Danny, maybe smart people who don’t want to fucking die in the middle of the desert because their fucking battery gave out!”

“Oh, so I’m the idiot because I didn’t want fucking battery acid flying everywhere?”

“I didn’t say you were an idiot; I just said that maybe it would’ve been smart. You were the one who decided to keep going. Maybe we should’ve let the car rest a bit before going into the middle of the desert.”

“If you think so, why didn’t you say any of this earlier?” He threw up his hands.

“You were dead set on driving until the next city, asshole, I thought you knew what you were doing!” 

“So now I’m an asshole now, huh? Who’s fucking driving you across the country? I could be off having a life, being with my band, or making a name for myself, but instead, I’m dragging your ass around the country with time that I could be using being with anyone else.”

Tears started stinging at the back of your eyes, “Fine. If you think that, maybe being with anyone else would be better for you.”

You both went silent after that, hot tears streaming down your face, and you were sure Dan was close to it as well. You were just staring at each other, both of you being too stubborn to say anything; too stubborn to end the stalemate.

Someone cleared their throat behind the two of you. Both of you quickly turned, startled by the noise, finally breaking the intense stare you had on each other. That was when you noticed the car that was right beside you. You’d both been so heated that you didn’t realize anyone drove up to you. An elderly man was in the driver’s seat of the car, looking at both of you with wide eyes, like he’d heard every word.

The man cleared his throat, “Do you kids need some help here?” He asked in a thick, southern accent, looking to you 

Danny glanced to you and then ran a hand through the bun that was still in the back. He let out a long sigh and nodded, “Can you help us jump off? I-I think that our battery is dead.”

The older man nodded, and got out of his car to help. He and Danny went to the front of the car while you went inside the car, trying to wipe away tears and calm down as much as you could. You couldn’t believe Danny would say anything like that, and you couldn’t believe what you said yourself. 

After some rustling in the hood, Danny got back in the car to try to turn on the van, stealing glances your way every time you let out a sniff or a small sob. The van still failed to start a few times, but finally roared to life after about the fifth try. Dan yelled out a thanks to the older man who was getting in his own car as you drove off, going separate ways. You were trying hard to hold in your sobs and noises from the tears as the two of you sat in silence for a very long time.

The music was off and the only noise was coming from the road.

“I didn’t mean what I said,” Danny said quietly, cutting through the thick silence like a knife. 

You nodded, looking down to your hands. “Was this a mistake?”

“What? No, of course it wasn’t a mistake.” He said fervently, “I’m so happy to go on this trip with you; you know that. And I would never dream of being with anyone else besides you. I just… I was irritated and said the easiest thing I knew would hurt you in the moment. I’m so sorry.”

He put his hand on your thigh gently, but you couldn’t quite accept his apology just yet. You were feeling a million things, but knew you just needed some time. So, you put your hand on top of his and ahe car ride continued, silent and fragile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay between chapters and then hit you with some angst. Whoops! Hope you'll forgive me!


	6. In Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Danny make up

Neither of you still weren’t entirely talking to each other by the time you got to the motel. You were finally toward the end of New Mexico, with only a few hours out from Arizona, you still had a couple days before you got to California, but at this point in time, you weren’t sure how that was going to go. You two had held hands the rest of the way from where his van broke down, but you two didn’t really talk much beside the few comments when you stopped somewhere for gas and snacks. 

You brought in your stuff into the room and sat on the bed, ready to get some sleep and maybe just forget about the day that just happened. Danny went into the shower which left you alone in the room for a little bit. You allowed yourself to let the tears fall freely while he was in there. You were still mad at what he said, and honestly a little heartbroken. You knew he didn’t mean what he said, but it still felt like a stab to the heart. 

You lost track of time, hoping you would just fall asleep, but instead, you kept crying, the tears never stopping as you laid there wide awake with intruding thoughts. Was this a mistake?

The mattress dipped behind you and suddenly you were engulfed by Danny’s long arms wrapping around you. His hair was still wet from the shower and he was gently shushing you, running a hand through your hair and tightening his embrace around you.

“I’m so, so sorry, baby.” He said quietly. 

“Why are you here?” you asked through a sob, just wanting to get it off of your chest “I didn’t mean to drag you anywhere.”

“Baby, you didn’t drag me anywhere, not at all. What I said back there... I didn’t mean a word of it. I played dirty to win whatever stupid argument we were having. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, babe, believe me.”

“But... it’s true,” you said, turning to face him, “You wouldn’t have to be dragging me across the country for the hell of it or having a van break down and you could be saving your money. You could be doing things with your band, picking up people in bars and shit like that” you laughed a little, motioning to him, “Can you blame me for being a little doubtful? Just look at you, Danny, you’re a catch.”

“I’m a mess.” He said with a short chuckle, placing his hands on your shoulder, “Do you hear yourself? We’re traveling across country, baby. I would’ve never even dreamed of going if it weren’t for you. I’d be back in New Jersey playing video games and smoking pot all day and isolating myself from the world. I dream about doing shit with my band, sure, but even you have to know that once I’m alone, this whole façade of smooth and sexy goes out the window and I’m stuck with being a lazy pothead… baby, you’re all I want. If we weren’t going on this road trip, I’d be wanting to spend all of my time with you anyway.”

“You’re just saying that,” you said, shaking your head.

“I’m not,” He said, squeezing your shoulders gently, “Baby, look at me.” 

You hesitated for a long moment, but looked up to meet his eyes. With his hair still wet and his eyes boring into yours, he looked vulnerable. You felt that you probably looked the same with your tear-filled eyes and slightly pouting lips.

“When you look at me, I feel as complete as you make me out to be. I mean that. No other person has made me feel like that.” He said, a small smile gracing his lips, “There’s this light and burning heat that comes from you and it drives me crazy… but I crave it so much. You’re this beacon of hope for me to do something better with my life, gives me hope that I’ll be able to do what I want. I could be with someone else, but I would never be as happy, because they’ll never be you. Hell, you have a better chance of going off with someone and forgetting about me. And after what I said, I wouldn’t blame you.”

You shook your head again, “I could never forget about you, Danny.”

“And neither will I, baby.”

You nodded and reached for him, bringing him in for a tight hug despite the wet hair. He breathed out a sigh and placed his hands in your hair, stroking gently.

“I swear to God, Leigh,” you said with a small, wet laugh, “If you ever say that shit again, I’m heading back to New Jersey without you.”

He let out a laugh as well. It sounded like he was crying now too, “I wouldn’t dare. I’ll hand you the keys if I do.”

“I see the same light and heat in your eyes too.” You whispered, hugging him tighter.

“God, we’re like a cheesy romantic comedy.”

You laughed, kissing his cheek, “That’s better than a melodrama.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one chapter is kinda short. But the good news is that since I'll be going to RTX next week, I'll be posting another chapter very soon! (And if you're going to RTX, maybe we'll run into each other!)


	7. Heat of the Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two of you take a small detour to the Grand Canyon

You and Danny made it to Arizona late the next day. You’d both decided to take a detour to the Grand Canyon, especially now since you were making good time with your travels. It wasn’t on the route, but that didn’t matter. You both knew it would be a nice little stop before entering California. You picked a motel close to the famous canyon and then made it a day trip to go around and look at everything you could. You were excited to look around, and you knew Danny would love seeing the National Park as well.

Things were a little tense toward the morning, with you two still being a little cautious around each other, but as the day progressed and you started planning around your day at the canyon, the silence dissipated and things started to get back to normal. And when you finally got to the canyon, you two were so in awe that smiles wouldn’t leave either of your faces. You took your polaroid out and started taking many pictures of the canyon, but of course, there were a lot more of Danny. 

Every time you got close to the edge of the canyon, Danny held you closer, and tighter, despite the barriers. But you didn’t mind too much. He eventually convinced you onto the side of the canyon toward the end of the night, the sun setting and the sky turning a beautiful orange and pink mix color. You were watching the sun set, and watching the other people across the canyon, doing the same thing. 

“We could get married.” Danny said suddenly, surprising you.

When you looked to him, his eyes were wide like he was also surprised that he said that. You laughed a little and looked back at the sunset.

“You want to?” you asked, quirking a smile, and deciding that you would mess with him a little bit, “We’re not far from Vegas, you know. Only about a few hours out of the way. We could make a detour, add another day to our trip, and get married tomorrow.”

He sputtered and started to laugh nervously, “I-I mean, I think I-I want to, but I don’t have a ring or anything and I haven’t even asked your parents like a proper gentleman. Maybe on the way back we could do it or something? If you really want to that is, I wouldn’t m--.”

“Danny,” you said, stopping his rambles, “I don’t want to get married.”

“What?” He asked, looking at you, a little surprised, “You don’t?”

“No… well, not yet. I want to get married eventually, of course, but not right now; not tomorrow.”

“Oh. Yeah, not yet.”

You chuckled again and looked to your boyfriend who still looked shocked and relieved at the same time, “Yeah… not just yet. Danny, we’re so young. Don’t you think we should experience the world first before we tie the knot? I mean, hell, Dan, we’re going to college soon.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right… I just… I thought it was the right thing to say at the time. It was, like, a sun set and shit. Figured if I was going to ask, it was going to be somewhere like this.”

“Hey,” you said with another laugh, leaning to kiss him on the cheek, “You did a great job. You had the right heart for it. And I’m not saying I don’t want to marry you. I want to, believe me, once we both feel is the right time. But we haven’t even made it to California yet, right? Let’s give it a little time, baby. Ask me in a year; I promise I’ll say yes.”

Danny smiled, a look came into his eyes that you’d only seen a few times before from him. Like that light and heat you’d mentioned before. You still couldn’t make out exactly what it meant, but you knew for certain that with this look, he was telling you what his heart meant. You pulled the collar of his old band t-shirt down, so you could kiss him gently. When you pulled away, he wrapped an arm around your shoulder casually and you resumed watching the sky and the people around.

Things went comfortably quiet after that as you watched the pink sky slowly turn into a dark purple. The stars in the night sky became so vivid and bright and visible that you nearly couldn’t look away. You two slowly walked back to the van shortly after the sky turned. Once the van was in view, Danny held you closer to him.

“I don’t really want to leave just yet…” He said, looking to the sky, “I mean, how often do we get to see this kind of stuff in Jersey?”

You smiled and nodded, so the two of you sat on the hood of the van and stared at the stars, completely enamored by the vastness of it all. You held Danny’s hand tightly, happy that this experience was with him.  
He was the first one to break the silence again and started pointing out constellations to you. Soon started to do the same, even pointing out which ones you thought might be planets. It felt like hours that you two stayed on the hood of his van. Eventually, you two had to get off the hood to continue your trip. You were so close to California now, it would be a bad idea to get behind, no matter how much you both wanted to stay under the stars.

When you did finally get into the van, Danny turned to you with a sly smile.

“You know, I think I will still get you a ring in California.” He said, starting the van.

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, “Why’s that?”

“I just really want to freak out your parents all of a sudden,” He said with a short laugh, “Whole gaudy proposal and everything. It would be great payback, baby, from the first time they met me.”

You laughed along, shaking your head, “Of course. Dan, they’ve been freaked out plenty by you. I’m sure the first time they met you, they were more caught off guard than you were.”

“Okay, first of all, rude…”

You couldn’t be happier as the banter continued all the way back to your hotel room, giggling and laughing all the way. Your next stop: California

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter in the same weekend!! If you're going to be at RTX next weekend, I hope to see you! Otherwise, it will probably be a little bit of a wait for the next chapter. I thank you guys for the patience and support you guys have been giving me! <3


	8. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two of you finally make it to California! Arin and Suzy are there and there's some clubbing too!

Finally, the both of you made it to California. It was like a miracle when you passed the border from Arizona into the state you’d been driving to for so long. You still had a little while to go until you made it to the heart of the state where Arin and Suzy lived, but you were just happy that you made it.

Later, when it was just becoming the evening, Danny pulled the van up to an apartment building just outside of LA in a town called Glendale. You were excited as you exited the car, ready to see your friends again. Danny got out both of your luggage and led you up one flight of stairs to a door that was painted red. As Danny knocked on the door, you felt a wave of exhaustion hit you, along with another wave of ecstatic energy. 

The familiar face, Arin, answered the door with the same long hair he had before but now with a ginger smattering of hair across his face. His eyes widened when he saw you and Danny.

“Holy shit,” Arin nearly yelled, “Hey man! You guys made it here quick! We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

Arin pulled Danny into a tight hug, both laughing before Arin grabbed you too to make it a big group hug. His arms locked around you and crushed you in a gigantic hug. You couldn’t help but laugh as well when he released you.

“We were pretty speedy and were making pretty good time,” Danny said when he pulled away, “It’s really great to see you, man. I know it’s only been a few months, but it’s felt like years, brother.”

“It has, dude. It’s felt like fucking forever since we’ve seen a familiar face.”

“How’s living here?” You asked with a smile.

Arin beamed, “We love it here! It’s pretty quiet and stuff, and Disneyland is like an hour away. It’s pretty fucking great.”

You laughed as Arin stepped aside, motioning toward his apartment, “Please, come on in, make yourselves at home.”  
“Where’s Skuze?” Danny asked, looking around the apartment.

“She’s here in the bedroom getting ready; we were going to go to a club, actually, if you’d like to join us. No drinks, but there’s lots of dancing.”

Danny looked to you, a look that was asking if you’d like to go. You smiled and nodded; you were in California! You wouldn’t mind moving a little since you’d been driving for so long.

“We’d love to, man.” Danny said with a triumphant smile.

Not too much later, you were piled back in Dan’s van with Arin and Suzy (of course after large hugs and another heartfelt meeting back with your friend) heading toward the club. When you got there, you noticed that music was booming from the speakers, stuff neither you or Dan recognized, really, but it was bright, and though it wasn’t normally your scene, it looked actually looked like lots of fun!

Arin and Suzy went off to do their own thing for a while, so Danny didn’t hesitate to pull you into him, already heading for the dance floor. You started to sway your hips to the beat of the music. He spun you and dipped you as he pleased, not afraid to kiss you whenever he wanted. You two danced for what felt like hours, and then kissed in the hallway to the bathroom for what also felt like hours. Overall, you had only been at the club for about 45 minutes. 

While there in the hallway, it’s like both of you felt that wave of exhaustion come back to you almost at full force. Your eyes started drooping and got harder to open, and Danny was losing his grip along the wall.

“I’m so tired.” He said, groaning and putting his head against the nape of your neck, “Do you feel as exhausted as I do right now?”

“I feel exactly the same,” You said, letting him lean against you.

You both stayed there for a minute, just kind of relaxing before you both mutually decided to head back home. Eventually, you were able to find and met back up with Arin and Suzy.

“Hey, man, is it cool if we head back to your apartment? We’re a little tired.”

Suzy looked at the both of you and laughed a little, “It looks like you’re more than a ‘little’ tired. It’s perfectly fine if you want to go back.”

“We’re probably gonna stay here for a little while longer, though,” Arin said, smiling to his girlfriend, “We’ll hail a taxi and meet you two back at the apartment.”

Danny shook his head and handed them the keys to the van, “We’ll hail the taxi, dude, I’m not gonna risk either of us passing out while driving.”

Arin took the keys with the promise they’d bring it back in one piece while you and Danny headed out to hail a cab. Luckily for you two, there wasn’t much of a wait. When the taxi pulled up, you two fell into the back seat. It was magic that you two could even give the directions to the guy. 

When you arrived at Arin’s apartment, you pulled out the couch and started getting ready for bed. When coming out of the bathroom, you didn’t see Danny at the bed. Instead, he was out on the balcony, one of his joints in his hand. You went out to join him and plucked the joint from his fingers, taking a hit of it for yourself.

“What are you doing out here, Avidan?”

He smiled, “Just taking a moment to look out and see where we are.”

“And the joint?” You asked, taking another hit.

“To calm down and hopefully get some really good sleep.”

You nodded. A lot happened in the span of a few hours: finally getting to California, seeing Arin and Suzy again, going clubbing, dancing, kissing, and finally the exhaustion settling in. You weren’t quite sure what you were feeling either, but it was happy. But Danny was right, you weren’t sure how you’d sleep with all of it going on, so the pot would probably help.

After a few more hits, you head was spinning for quite some time as you kept your eyes on Danny. He looked happy, like, content happy. And you hope you looked happy as well, because that’s the main thing that you felt in that moment. He turned your world around and you were very thankful that he took you along with him on this trip.

When the joint was finished, you went back into Arin’s apartment. Danny led you to the pull-out couch like a gentleman and tucked you into the covers before he buried himself in them as well. Danny curled up behind you, wrapping his arms securely around you, and in that moment, you suddenly weren’t so sure if you ever wanted to leave California.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the patience! It's been hard to write this chapter after traveling. But here it is and I hope you guys enjoy!!


	9. Don't Lose My Number

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet a creep on your trip to the grocery store

Since Arin and Suzy were allowing you to crash at their place for a while, you decided that the least you could do would be to go grocery shopping for them, just to help and give small thanks for letting you stay with them. After you got home, you and Danny were going to go sightseeing, so you were pretty excited to get everything done.

Dan and Arin had gone out to a video game store while Suzy finished up her taxidermy work. So, you insisted that you would do the grocery shopping yourself, thinking that maybe some time alone would be good. Danny was a little hesitant to let you go alone at first, but knew that you guys couldn’t spend every waking moment together. But, even to you, it felt very weird not being next to Danny for an extended amount of time since the two of you had been together nearly 24/7 for the past week.

The two of you parted at the door with a kiss and a tight hug. Both of which were probably a little too dramatic for a trip to the grocery store. 

You were walking around with the cart in the nearest grocery store with Arin and Suzy’s grocery list in hand. You had a good majority of the items you needed (and some you probably didn’t need as much) and was now in the frozen food section. It’s a lot of what you guys ate at the apartment. 

You felt the presence of a man beside you. Thinking it was nothing, you turned away slightly, continuing to look through the frozen foods. The man kept standing there as you looked and you were getting a little weirded out by it. So, you took your cart and started to go to another isle. But, as you started to walk off, you noticed that he was following you.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” He asked after you.

You cringed at his tone and kept your face forward, laughing a little uncomfortably, “I-I’m not comfortable giving you my name.”

“Is that so?” He asked. You chanced a glance behind you and noticed a gross smirk growing on his face. He was older and greasy and was definitely not shopping for groceries. “Why not? I just wanna talk, maybe get to know you a little. My name’s Billy.” 

“I-I’m not interested in talking to anyone right now, thank you.” You stammered out. You were firm in your statement, but he kept following you around the store. 

You weren’t grabbing anything else and decided it would be best to get out as quickly as you could. You made it to the checkout line - which he also followed you to - and tried to make small, casual conversation with the cashier in hopes that it would deter “Billy” away from you.

As you were heading out to the van, you thought he would be gone. However, you could see his shadow trailing behind you as you walked through the parking lot.

“Please leave me alone,” You got out about halfway through the parking lot, picking up your pace. Before you could say anything else, he grabbed your arm, pulling your arm close to him and taking out a pen from his pocket protector. You had no time to scream as he started writing numbers on your arm, big enough to where it was going to be annoyingly obvious what they were. He placed the pen back where he got it and gave you a wink, “Don’t lose that, sweetheart. When you want to talk, give me a call sometime.”

You didn’t answer and instead yanked your hand away, running the rest of the way to the van.You were extremely uncomfortable, so you threw the rest of the groceries haphazardly into the trunk and got in as quickly as you could. Luckily the guy had gone back inside and left you alone, but that didn’t keep you from tearing out of the parking lot as fast as you could.

At red lights you tried to rub the numbers off of your arm, but all it managed to do was smear the ink around. You would sigh every time the light turned back to green, knowing that that creep’s number would have to stay until you got back. 

Pulling up to the apartment, the sight of Arin and Suzy’s door was a bit of relief. You grabbed the first set of groceries and headed up the stairs. You opened their door and made a beeline to the fridge where most of the batch of groceries were going. 

As you were putting them away, arms snaked around your middle. You nearly screamed as you flinched away from the touch. You turned and were relieved to see Danny, chuckling lightly.

“Sorry,” He laughed, “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

You forced a smile, “It’s fine.”

He leaned forward to kiss your forehead, “Need any help with the groceries?”

Quickly, you finished putting away those groceries and started heading out the door to get the rest. Danny trailed along beside you out to the van. He helped you grab the last few bags. As you were locking up the van, Dan’s eyes fell onto the smudges across your arm.

“What’s that, babe?” He asked, looking at your arm quizzically. His eyebrows started to furrow when he noticed it was a blatant phone number, “What happened at the store?”

“Some creep just wrote his number on my arm.” you grumbled, frustrated tears starting to fill your eyes, “He kept following me, and then in the parking lot, he grabbed me to write it down and kept calling me sweetheart.”

Danny’s eyes started to fill with fire, “He grabbed you?”

“Yeah,” you said with a sigh, fiddling with the keys to the van; embarrassed. “But it’s not a big deal. He left me alone after he wrote his number down… can we just bring the rest of the groceries up?”

“It’s obviously a big deal if he grabbed you and wrote his fucking number down. The dude's a psychopath! I'll beat the shit out of him If I ever see him.” Dan said, very obviously angry. He let out a harsh sigh and then looked to you fiddling with the keys. His exterior visibly softened when he saw how upset you were. The two of you stood there in silence for a moment as he shifted the bags to one hand and grabbed your hand with the other. He led you into your friend’s apartment and didn’t let go of your hand until the door was locked.

“I’ll put away the stuff for you and you can go wash off that stupid number. Then, when all’s said and done, we head out and get to know California a bit.”

You smiled a little, pulling Danny in by the collar of his t-shirt, “Sounds like a plan.”

He closed the gap between you two, wrapping his arms around your waist to pull you in closer. You finally felt safe again with him holding you and were going to feel even more safe when you got that gross man’s number off your arm.

You pulled away soon after, allowing yourself to wash the smeared ink off your arm. With it out of the way, you helped Danny finish putting away everything before you got back into the van. Finally happy and excited again to go sightseeing with your boyfriend. 

“If you ever see that man again,” Danny started, glancing at you as he drove, “Point him out and I will literally kill him for you.”

You giggled a little, thinking of Leigh Daniel “I would never kill a fly” Avidan causing harm to someone who messed up your day. You bent across the van to leave a kiss on his cheek. 

“I’m flattered you would do such a thing for me. I’ll help you come up with an alibi if you do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was at Tour de Force on Sunday and boy oh boy was it amazing!! Danny is a real charmer, I can tell you that.
> 
> Also, the end of this chapter came a little bit from the new "First Date" song as well as "Don't Lose My Number". I think I'm just getting excited for the new album.
> 
> Thank you guys for reading!!


	10. I Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Danny reminisce about the old days and wish for some new ones.

Nearly four days of going around and sightseeing LA, you and Danny stumbled upon a drive-in movie theatre. There weren’t too many around anymore and you were excited to experience one. Of course, that night in Texas didn’t count, since it was abandoned and you didn’t watch any movie.

You bought the popcorn and paid for the ticket, but about halfway through the movie, you two realized you weren’t going to watch a lot of it. It wasn’t like you two couldn’t watch a movie anymore, but it wasn’t a great movie after all and you decided to focus on each other instead. The two of you ended up in the backseat again, making out as the movie quietly played in the background.

Danny pulled away after a little while and let you kiss his neck. He moaned a little, but nothing sexual. And then he sighed, and a very thoughtful sigh at that. You kissed up his jaw as he got lost in thought.

“What’re you thinking about, Leigh?”

He laughed a little at the name, but soon let out his thoughts, “We’re going to have to head back in a couple of days. I’m going to miss this,” he murmured, “I’m going to miss being with you all day, baby.”

You lifted your head to look at him, “Me too, Danny. It was kind of weird to be without you at the supermarket.”

“Don’t remind me of that creep,” He groaned but kissed you gently. He smiled into the kiss and was pulling away again, “Do you remember how we would sneak out to each other’s houses to spend the night?”

“Of course. We snuck into each other’s houses all the way up until about a month ago,” You said with a small laugh, “I’m still technically grounded after they found you that one morning. I had a really long talk with my parents the next day about how you and I weren’t having sex... even though we were.”

He laughed as well, “Or that one time after you came over when my parents scolded me for two hours about how we smelled like pot?”  
“They said nothing to me.” You said with another giggle. 

“Of course they didn’t. They love you,” He said, rolling his eyes.

You let a wide smile grow on your face, “I remember our first date like it was yesterday. But then I’ve felt like I’ve known you my entire life.”

“I feel the same. I’ve never been so comfortable with anyone,” He said, “Well, maybe with Arin, but that’s a bit different.”

You sat back to look at your boyfriend, putting a hand up to his cheek, “I’m going to miss this.”

“I’m going to miss you,” He said, sitting up and sinking his face into the nape of your neck, “Even though I didn’t entirely like high school, Senior year was good because of you. Sometimes I wish those days would come back so I don’t have to face the reality of you going off to college.”

You smiled sadly, bringing a hand up to card through his hair; his familiar hair, “You’re going to the same college, babe. It’s not like we won’t ever see each other again.”

He sighed, “I know, but… but you’re going to be busy doing your own thing, you know? And I’ll be busy too, and… it won’t be simple anymore. Maybe that’s the reason I wanted to get married so suddenly when I said that at the Grand Canyon. I want things to be simple; wanted things to be solid so there’s no doubt in either of our minds. I thought… maybe I can hold on to what I have now. I don’t want to lose you, baby.”

“I wish those days would come back too, Danny, just so I can spend more time with you, but… but we can’t turn back now… Remember how I said I would say yes if you asked me to marry you in a year?” You asked quietly. He nodded slowly, removing his head to look at me. “Even if we somehow stopped talking to each other; stopped keeping in contact. If you asked me, even then, I would still say yes. You won’t lose me, no matter what, as long as you still want me. And no matter what feelings change, you’re always going to be my best friend. You’re not going to lose me that easily.”

Danny’s smile grew with fondness as he looked at you with the gleam in his eyes. Maybe it was the moonlight and the dimly lit car. Or maybe he was crying. Either way, he looked as beautiful as ever. You couldn’t help but think to yourself how you got so lucky.

“You’re always going to be my best friend too.” He said, taking your hands in his.

It was quiet between the two of you and you looked at each other and took a few moments to just bask in each other’s presence. Danny looked so young in that moment, and maybe you did too, still a teen worried about going to college in the next coming months. He right to worry in his own sense, but you were confident in keeping this normality with him.

Soon, you went back to listening to the movie from the back seat, your head on his chest and his arms around your waist. Again, you felt safe and sound and just overall happy. You were so happy.

Toward the end of the movie - or what you assumed to be the end - you could hear Danny’s heart start to race in his chest. You laughed a little and looked up to him.

“What’s your heart going a mile a minute for?”

“You.” He said deadpanned. You rolled your eyes, but he held you close, “When you went to the grocery store the other day, Arin and I did go shopping, but not for video games… okay we did, but later on… like much later on, this thing took hours, like, holy shit the selection...”

“Get on with it, Daniel!” You exclaimed, laughing, “The suspense is killing me.”

“I went ring shopping of course,” Danny laughed as he sat the two of you up and smiled a little, pulling out a box from his pocket, “I was going to wait and make a scene in front of your parents, but… now seemed like a good time to give it to you than any.”

He pulled out a simple looking ring from the box and grabbed your left hand, tenderly sliding it onto your ring finger. You smiled widely, tears pricking at the back of your eyes. He grabbed both of your hands in his and smiled, staring into your eyes with his stupid, doughy, beautiful eyes.

“I’m not asking you to tie yourself down to me just yet. Like you said, we’re still so fucking young, we shouldn’t have to marry each other right away. I want us to find our way; we’ll have this trip, this ring, and the rest of our lives to remind us of what we’re capable of. I promise that I will want you from now and forever even. I can’t promise I won’t fuck up along the way, but I will always come back to you and do whatever I can to make you happy.

“This isn’t a proper marriage proposal just yet, but maybe it will be someday. But, as long as you have this ring on, whenever we’re both ready, let’s get fucking married.” 

The both of you were laughing, but tears didn’t allow you to answer anything as you threw yourself across him, embracing him and wishing you would be lucky enough to spend the rest of your life with Danny.


	11. Your Wildest Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Danny start heading your way back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. I have notes at the bottom of this asking for some feedback if you'd be so kind. For now, enjoy!!!

Sooner than you knew it, the end of the week was passing you by, and you and Danny had to say goodbye to Arin, Suzy, and California as you knew it, promising that someday - maybe once you get everything figured out - you would be back. Within only a few hours, the two of you were on the road again, all your stuff packed and in the van, ready for the long trip back home.

The two of you drove for nearly two days straight, anxious to not waste too much money on stuff you already saw. Instead, this trip back home mostly consisted of driving and spending passionate nights in hotel rooms. 

On the last night of travel, you two opted to stay in the van that night, somewhere in a dark abandoned field. You teased Danny about getting another ticket, but he laughed along and told you that it was going to be fine. So, there you two were, laying on the top to watch the stars much like you did in the Grand Canyon. 

The air between the both of you was silent, but in a bittersweet way than before. You knew that when you got back, a lot of things wouldn’t be the same as they were. The two of you would be going off and doing your own thing. Of course you would do your best to support and encourage Danny, but you knew you would also have to do what you needed to do as well. 

So, for now, you were content underneath the stars; the universe was yours then. You turned your head to look at Danny; your boyfriend; your future husband; your everything.

You thought about your future then; your real future, one that you wanted with him. You wanted to get an apartment with him before you got married. You wanted to be married; a big wedding with all your family members and a half-Jewish theme. You wanted to see him perform and have a good career.

Even with these dreams, though, you knew things could change. You knew people could change; Danny could change; You could change. The both of you were still so young, yet to have experienced a lot of things and to have your life so planned out. College could change both of you, for better or for worse. 

But as you looked at Danny with stars reflected in his eyes, you realized you knew him, nearly inside and out. You trusted him with all your being. He was truly the best friend you’d ever had. You may someday find yourself not always wanting to be with this man, or possibly wanting a break from him, who knows. But deep down, you knew you would always love him. You knew you would always care about Danny and the times you shared together, no matter how long or short the two of you were together. You would always remember what you shared, no matter the circumstance.

Danny groaned as you got off the car, lazily reaching for you, asking where you were going. You laughed as you dipped into the car, searching for your polaroid stuffed somewhere in your bag. You hadn’t used it much in California, but figured now would be the best time to take a picture. You came back with it and stood back a few feet away, looking in the lens, trying to capture all of it: the stars, the van, Danny. 

“You taking pictures again?” He called from the roof, his eyes never leaving the stars.

You did your best as the flash went off. It came out alright, everything wasn’t there, but it was enough. 

“Yeah,” You said, letting the camera flash again, “It’s a pretty view.”

“You should be taking pictures of yourself then, beautiful.” He smirked, finally looking at you standing across the field. 

Your cheeks started to burn a little as you stepped a little closer to the van and took one more picture of just him. He was smiling and looked soft.

He giggled, “I’m fucking blind now, thank you.” You laughed along with him as you climbed up halfway to give his forehead a kiss.

He was staring at you then as you climbed down to place the camera back in it’s holder and stuff it back in your bag where you found it. He smiled a little, that same look in his eyes that you still couldn’t quite place. Maybe you would find out what it was in the future.

“Are you okay?” He whispered, grabbing your hand.

You smiled back to him, relaxing back in your position beside him, “More than okay.”

The bittersweet silence came back. The two of you fell asleep on the roof of the car that night, your hands held tightly together. 

You were the first to wake up, the sun not even up so early in the morning. The air smelled heavily of dew and nature. You gently blew into Danny’s ear, and when that didn’t work, you gently placed your lips on his. When you pulled away, his eyes were fighting to stay open, and a smirk was on his lips again. You laughed; it was just like your first morning on the road trip.

“We have to go,” you said with a small, sad smile as you started to sit up.

“Wait,” His voice was gravely and deep with sleep. He grabbed your hand, pulling you back down, “Let’s just stay here… just for a little while longer until the sun is up.”

You nodded and placed your head on his chest, waiting until the sun was up. It was, thankfully, a slow process as you watched the sky turn from a deep purple to a light blue. Danny was trying his hardest to stay awake, but he kept his eyes open, staring up at the sky. Every once in a while, he would leave kissed on the top of your head. 

When the sun was finally in the sky, you sighed. You decided in that moment that you wouldn’t worry about the future. Whatever it held, or whatever you two decided to do, you would let life run its course. And if the future happened to involve your best friend in your life, then that would just be a happy bonus.

“What are the chances you’ll give me head before we go?”

You laughed, the moment ruined, replaced with a new one, “In your wildest dreams, Leigh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!! So this story is really close to being done, and I wanted your feedback on some stuff. 
> 
> The next Under the Covers album won't be out for quite some time, and I would like to keep this story with whatever the songs will be. So, would you guys be interested in me writing more things in the mean time? 
> 
> I'm completely open to any suggestions you'd want. And I can take them if you message me here or on my tumblr account (randifun43.tumblr.com). If you want anything written, I would gladly take requests to fill time between now and the next Under the Covers. 
> 
> I have a few ideas myself, but would like to hear from you guys first!! Thank you for reading and being amazing <3


	12. Rocket Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Danny finally arrive home

The two of you blasted music in the car on the last stretch home, dancing around and having a little bit of fun before you got home. It felt nice for you both to belt out Rush so early in the morning. But, sadly, around 9am, after only 3 measly hours of driving, he was pulling up onto your street, making your heart sink just a little. He drove a little slower than normal, pulling up into your driveway at a turtle’s pace. Both of you sat there, neither of you making a move to get out of the car to grab anything.

You looked at your house. You hadn’t been gone that long, but it suddenly looked a little foreign to you. The loneliness of not being with Danny already starting to sink in; like you were about to be launched out into space alone. You must’ve not been the only one thinking about it, because Danny’s hand enveloped yours slowly. He rubbed his thumb over your knuckles and over the ring that he’d placed there only a couple of days ago.

Taking in a deep breath, you looked over at Danny, who was just staring at you with a sort of sad smile. You smiled back half-heartedly, and he mimicked you, squeezing your fingers gently. 

Eventually, you were the one to break the stubborn stalemate; finally moving to open the door. Danny soon followed suit. Your movements were slow, however, taking luggage out carefully as if it were full of broken glass. Once all of your stuff was out, the two of you once again fell still, just looking at each other. His brown eyes showed sadness, and you were pretty sure yours showed the same.

“Well,” He started with a small giggle, “We made it without us getting tired of each other.”

“I was pretty close to getting tired of your sorry ass.”

“Hey!” 

Both of you laughed to ease some of the air. But it was quickly replaced by another sad silence again. You brought a hand up to mess with the back of your hair.

“You could… come in. For a little while, I mean, like, sleep in a couple of hours since, you know, we’ve been driving for so long.” You said, not ready to let go.

He breathed out a chuckle, “I don’t think your parents would like that, baby. I should… probably be getting home anyway. My mom’s probably getting a little antsy.”

You nodded, “Y-yeah, I guess. Just… be safe going home okay?”

“I will…” He bit his lip, taking your hand, “Baby, you know this isn’t going to be the last time we see each other, right?”

“I know that.” You said with a sigh, “And I’m not trying to be clingy, but, we’ve just spent so much time together for the past couple weeks, and I know you’re probably actually a little tired of me, but… I’m just already kind of missing you.”

“I’d never be tired of you… and I’m already missing you too. That just means we’ll have to do it again, right?”

As you smiled widely, he took in a deep breath and stepped forward to engulf you in a hug, pressing you to him as tightly as he could. You wrapped your arms around him just as tightly, burying your face in his chest as his head rested on top of yours.

“I love you,” His voice was soft, his lips against your forehead, “so fucking much.”

You closed your eyes tightly, letting the words sink in as you whispered your own, “I love you too.”

You two shared a chaste kiss before embracing each other one more time. It could have been hours that the two of you stood there, holding each other, but all you knew was that you had to finally break apart when you heard your mother calling to you from the front door. It sure wasn’t the last time you were going to see Danny, so it was time to be excited for what was yet to come. You sighed – the moment passing – and finally you were ready to move on to the next.

“Guess that’s my cue,” You said with a small laugh. Danny laughed along with you. He brought your chin up to kiss you again gently, despite your mom still being there.

He helped you move your bags closer to the front door where he greeted your mom with a small hug. She asked a couple of questions about the trip to which he answered politely. He even vouched that you had plenty of Polaroid pictures when she asked. With a small eye roll to you after the short questionnaire, you walked him over to his van.

When he was about to pull out of the driveway, he rolled down the window and smiled wide, “Do you wanna, maybe, like, get ice cream and get as high as a kite later tonight after we’ve kind of settled and had a nap?” You laughed loudly, nodding vigorously. “I’ll pick you up at seven then,” He winked, a smirk gracing his face, “See you soon, baby.”

“See you soon, Danny.”

You watched as he pulled out of the driveway. You stood there watching and waiting until his car was completely out of sight before turning to greet your mother, and now father who had joined her at some point, at the doorway. Your dad helped you with your bags.

“So, I asked Dan, but how was your trip?” She asked, curious as ever. You had barely made it into the door when she eagerly asked you the question.

“Way too short,” You said with a smirk.

She scoffed and furrowed her eyebrows, “You’ve been gone for almost three weeks…”

“I know,” You said, “But it didn’t feel like three weeks. It felt like three days.”

“Time flies…” Your dad piped in. His eyes landed on your left hand and gave you a questioning look, “Is that a ring?”

You followed his gaze and picked up your left hand, looking at the ring that Danny had slipped on, turning it in around with your other fingers. You smiled, the good memories flooding your mind again. You gave a thoughtful sigh, “Yeah, Danny gave it to me in California.”

“Well, is it an engagement ring?” Your Mom asked. Your Dad looked like he was just about to ask the same question. Danny was going to have a wonderful laughing fit when you told him about this conversation.

You shrugged your shoulders and smiled fondly, putting your hand back down and beginning to take your luggage up the stairs to your room, calling over your shoulder.

“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out sooner or later”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!! And now I'm excited for the next one!
> 
> In the meantime, shoot me a few requests if you want! Either here or at my tumblr: randifun43!! I'll be coming up with some new stuff, but I would love to hear from you <3
> 
> Thank you guys so much!!


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